Southern Island, sun-kissed beach.
Zeke lay on a finely crafted redwood beach chair with his eyes closed, blissfully soaking up the sun. Clad only in gray shorts, he exposed his toned muscles and sleek physique, causing two nearby little girls to gulp audibly.
"Zeke... is truly amazing (?`?)!"
"Yes! Although we could feel it when cuddling with him at night, I didn't expect him to look this impressive during the day!"
Kiana and Sin exchanged glances, then simultaneously huffed and turned away from each other.
If not for their excessive clinginess earlier, which led Zeke to lose his temper and hang them upside down from coconut trees, there would undoubtedly be more playful squabbling now.
Below, Rozaliya and Liliya held ice pops, licking them while gazing up at these cautionary examples.
"Liliya, you need to behave today; otherwise, if we end up hanging from those trees, our hard-earned beach vacation will be ruined."
"I was about to say the same thing, silly big sister."
"Huh? Why would I get hung up? As the mighty Rozaliya-sama, I'm clearly Zeke's favorite—there's no way he'd bear to do that!"
"Big Sister, you're such a pain, completely oblivious to your own faults. Without Liliya, Zeke would surely despise you." Sighing, Liliya shook her head helplessly.
The sisters then held hands, licked their ice pops, and turned away without any sympathy for those left behind.
"Aaaaah!"
Kiana strained fiercely to break free from her bindings, but alas, Zeke's restraints continually evolved with the times. Despite her growing strength, she remained powerless against them.
"Darn it! We finally made it to the beach, and now I'm stuck tied up like this?! Unfair!"
Sin glanced at Kiana, saying nothing.
What's so great about the beach anyway? Being bound doesn't bother me; just being able to watch Zeke is enough satisfaction.
Ssslp!
"Hey! You've got drool dripping, Sinbara!"
"What business is it of yours, paramecium?"
"The problem is, being this close, people might mistake me for a freak too."
"As if anyone would believe that, hmph!"
And thus, they began bickering again.
Even suspended high above, arch-rivals remain constant, their clashes undeterred by time or place.
"Pop! Pop!"
As their argument escalated, two enhanced Rubber Bullets knocked both little balls of energy into temporary dizziness, effectively resolving the quarrel with undeniable truth.
Zeke lowered his gun, opened his utterly cold, lifeless eyes, and let out a long sigh.
"Can't get a moment's peace anywhere."
"Pfft! You deserved it!" Wendy, fully recovered, lay on a beach chair next to Zeke, sipping juice as she casually mocked him.
Zeke shot her a sideways glance and raised his gun again.
"Hold on! We can talk this out!"
"How much of your combat strength have you regained?"
"About seventy or eighty percent. Mainly because I haven't fought for so long; it's hard to regain my battlefield instincts."
"Next time there's a Honkai Beast, go to the front lines to sharpen your skills—but remember, don't embarrass me." With these emotionless words, Zeke fired another bullet.
"Bang!"
Wendy's head jerked back, losing balance, and she tumbled onto the sand.
"Ow!!"
"You actually fucking shot at me!"
Wendy, holding her forehead, jumped up, rolled up her sleeves, and stormed aggressively towards Zeke.
Three minutes later, Wendy joined Kiana and Sin with a swollen cheek, several large bumps on her head, and tears streaming down her face.
Zeke lowered his gun once more, reclining back onto the chair with a contented smile.
"Darn you! Tyrant! Heartless blockhead!" Wendy cursed under her breath, sniffing as she held back tears from the pain.
Kiana and Sin shot sideways glances at her.
Then, out of kindness, Kiana advised, "Um, I suggest you tone it down a bit. Zeke is right over there... He won't go easy on you just because you're already hanging."
"Mind your own business... Who asked you..." Wendy involuntarily lowered her voice towards the end, uneasily avoiding eye contact with Zeke.
Zeke squinted, keeping an eye on Wendy's reactions, and let out a soft scoff.
Being a Valkyrie of Schicksal, their initial mindset and stance were indeed different; they still resisted discipline to some extent. To establish absolute authority, it seemed occasional beatings were indeed necessary.
Zeke then turned toward the ocean, where a trail of white foam raced nimbly across the water.
"How's it going, Seele? Fast enough for you?"
"Big Sister Bronya, look at those huge waves! Can you slow down a bit?! Ha ha ha!"
"No way! The essence of speedboating is all about being fast—what fun would there be otherwise?! Hold on tight, Seele; Bronya's about to accelerate!"
"Ahhhhh!"
Hearing Seele's scream, uncertain whether out of fear or excitement, and watching the two girls tightly embracing each other, Zeke nodded approvingly.
True to form, Bronya effortlessly took her sister on a thrilling ride over the open sea, exuding sheer coolness—a skillset he wholeheartedly endorsed!
With that thought, Zeke closed his eyes once more, gradually emptying his mind.
The warm sunlight seemed to even make the Honkai Beast genes within him feel lethargic—it was indeed perfect weather for a nap.
Ah, vacation, how sweet!
What? You're asking about their swimsuits?
Heh! While they're certainly developing, they're still just kids after all. Besides, who cares about loli bikinis when exploring the truth is far more intriguing?
Zeke dismissed such thoughts, maintaining an unwavering composure.
Still, they were genuinely adorable, no denying that.
Zzzz...
After a lively beach barbecue at night, Zeke lay on his spacious bed, gazing at the moon outside the floor-to-ceiling window, feeling utterly content.
Indeed, this is how one should live; why endure constant overtime?
I've brought Anti-Entropy to its current state, not to become a workaholic martyr.
Upon returning, I'll officially promote Cocolia as consul, and it's time for Bronya to develop her administrative skills too. As for Icarus, she needs additional functional modules in that area...
As Zeke pondered various strategies to slack off, the blanket beneath him suddenly stirred.
Soon, two adorable heads—one white, one pink—emerged from either side of him.
Zeke glanced at the room's door, finding no signs of it being opened. Instead, he noticed a small gap mysteriously ajar at the other window.
"Both of you, your stealth skills have improved again?"
"That's right! Even that pompous Bronya can't help but praise my stealth abilities!"
"And Sin too, Bronya complimented me as well!"
"...I didn't say anything complimentary," Zeke deadpanned with a lifeless stare.
The girls then each clung to one of his arms.
"I don't care, it's been ages since you spent time with me! We're sleeping together tonight!"
"This once, the paramecium is correct, Zeke. Sin really misses you!"
The girls continued half-whining, half-pouting; they must have already resolved their dispute before arriving and reached some consensus, explaining their harmonious interaction.
Kiana and Sin's bodies felt soft against him, emitting subtle sweet scents—honestly, it wasn't entirely unpleasant.
But Zeke quickly turned grim-faced.
"Get your hands off my stomach!"
"Eheh! Caught!" Kiana playfully stuck out her tongue, giggling as she shamelessly nuzzled close to Zeke's neck, seemingly trying to catch his scent.
Blushing, Sin, though not as unabashed as Kiana, still leaned closer to Zeke.
"Mwah!"
Kiana planted a kiss on Zeke's cheek and confidently declared, "Alright, let's sleep now. It's getting late."
"...Aren't you both feeling hot?" A hint of disgust showed on Zeke's face. He tried to wipe his cheek but couldn't move his arms, tightly held by the two girls.
Sin responded coyly, "It's fine, Zeke feels cool and comfortable."
"I'm hot and uncomfortable, let go," Zeke said woodenly.
"Oh no, this lady won't!" Kiana exclaimed.
"Zeke...just for today...only today, don't make us!" Sin pleaded.
Zeke contemplated resorting to force but ultimately held back under their bright-eyed gazes.
"... Haven't I always been at Headquarters? It's not like I ever left."
"That's different; you're too busy and never have time for me!" Kiana grumbled unhappily, tightening her grip around Zeke's arm as if expressing her discontent.
Exhausted, Zeke gently chided them, "Kiana, Sin, both of you are growing up now. Please be more independent."
"No! We don't want to! Nyeh~"
"S-Sin doesn't want to either!"
Feeling utterly helpless! If they were just a bit older, Zeke could legitimately shoo them away and enjoy some peaceful sleep. But with these two half-grown kids acting so clingy, even a tough guy like him was at a loss.
"Settle down and get some proper rest."
"Okay (^ワ^)~" × 2
As the night deepened, Bronya quietly pushed open the door and found the trio fast asleep.
She paused by the bed, leaned over, and gently tucked the blankets around them. With her delicate, fair index finger, she softly touched Zeke's forehead, tucking away a few stray strands of his hair.
A gentle smile gradually formed on Bronya's usually emotionless yet refined face, adding warmth and tenderness to her features.
"Goodnight."
Silently, she spoke and once again quietly left the room.